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It seems to me the answer is quite simple. Sell the S&W and buy the ruger you seem to be so enthralled with.

Sometimes a gun is just no good. With over 60 years of gun ownership I can attest to that fact. It has happened to me with many brands and types of firearms. There may be no discernable difference among seemingly identical guns but one will be superior and another will be a high dollar noise maker, no matter how much money and effort is expended on it.

Liberals don't know they're stupid in the same way a fish does not know it is wet. It is just their natural state of being.

I have owned 3 Ruger Blackhawks in 41 Magnum. In all 3, the throat and barrel groove dimensions were PERFECT, and all three revolvers shot wonderfully. Much less fuss & bother than Ruger 44s and 45s, which can be dimensionally-poetic, let's just say. Doug Guy can square things away if need be, but the 41s I have had--both Ruger and S&W--were dimensioned correctly IME. If there is a down-side to the 41 revolvers, it has been a paucity of bullet designs and/or scarcity of brass/ammo. With the semi-custom mouldmakers now in business, getting exactly what a shooter wants in 41 caliber is a lot less work than it once was.

I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

it's all about the money. to make it, businesses of all stripes cut corners. them that put quality before their ROI have a tough row to hoe and may soon be out of business, or are forced to drastically increase prices as a trade off for real Quality.

i had a '67 smith 14-2 .38spl that was nothing short of amazing ... and of course, dummy me, i sold it to a lucky friend a few years back. doh!

wanting another smith, but one that was more, er, "portable", i bought a model 60 j-frame last year (yeah, with the libtard hole). but with about 450 of my rounds through it, so far, so good. maybe i got lucky?

To start, I'm not bashing S & W - I own several of their M & P Shields and like them a lot.
BUT . . all of my lSmith wheel guns are "vintage" - back when they knew how to make a revolver. I have looked at new ones in the local gun stores and have walked away - sorry, but I'm just not impressed and like others, they can take the Hillary hole and . . . well you know what they can do with it.

A few years ago, I was looking for a Smith Model 36 snobby. I went in to one of the LGS - one who is noted for always charging MSRP - to see what they had in the used revolve section. I talked with one of the guys and he said they did[[n't have one but could order me one of their new "classics". I told him I wasn't in a hurry and I'd check back. In the meantime, I went to another LGS that I've purchased a lot of guns from and they had a pristine Model 36 in the case. They had just gotten it in and it was a "sock drawer gun". I snapped it up at $300 and was tickled pink. (It's one of my favorite carry guns). A couple of weeks later, the gun store I had gone to first called me and told me that they had just gotten in one of the new Model 36 classics. They said thhey had ordered it as they were sure I would want it. I stopped in and the guy took it out of the case. I asked how much? Te answer was $750 + tax which would have been an additional 6% I told him that I was going to pull my pistol out so he could look at it and that it was unloaded (I had emptied it before i went in to the store). I laid it down next to their new 36 and his eyes kind of popped. I told him to pick it up and look at it and then asked him which of the two she would buy. His answer was mine. He then asked what i had paid for it and when I told him, he just smiled and said that he didn't blame me and that he would have done the same thing as I did.

My point? The quality of that particular new 36 "classic" was terrible. I wasn't impressed with the blueing nor the quality - a number of machining marks left which should have not been present. I would go in once in a while and I always looked to see if the 36 was still in the case. It stayed there for close to two years before it disappeared.

Moral . . . they just don't make 'em like they used to. I'll take my old M & P revolvers over anything they make today. Some folks like what they offer now and that's fine - we all have our personal likes and dislikes. AS far as their semi-autos - I have no issue and would and, and probably will, buy more of them.

Sorry your new pistol is proving to be disappointing - for he price, the quality should be there. Thank the "bean counters" I think?

If they had a blued redhawk 41 mag in a 5"-7.5" barrel, I would be all over it. I hate stainless for hunting, might as well carry around a mirror. I think the GP100 is awesome, I will probably own more in the future, but the 48 ounce N-frame is as light as I would like with a 41. The super redhawks shoot great, but they have to be the ugliest chunk of hardware out there. I try to be unbiased, but I am becoming a strong Ruger fan.

I am complete agreement with you on the bright stainless so I ordered a can of Duracote from Midway and coasted my SRH to a flat/matte black.it is a pretty tough finish that a clutz like me can apply.

J-frames sell like mad around here and few people have any problems with them. My own 637 is a sweet piece and more accurate than I can hold. Seems like every gunmaker runs into problems when they try to make old hand-fitted designs with automated production. I think today's J-frames do well because the design and construction has been changed significantly for modern production methods. The classics really need old school craftsmanship to do well.

I am lusting in my heart for a S&W Model 48 x 6", and as luck would have it one of the local toy stores that Buckshot and I habitually infest has one on display--one of the current Classic Series examples.

The thing just doesn't look "right". The stock set looks wrong. The rear sight looks disproportional. The finish is "acceptable", but my much-fired Model 16-4 (1989-made) is far more lustrous, even after 30 years and lots of carry. I have tried to talk myself into it, and cannot brook its appearance. And with all of the horror stories about S&W revolvers--like this one, for example--I am not willing to roll the bones on a new S&W wheelgun. Not when I know Ruger can and will make it right if they slip up the first time.

I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

I am lusting in my heart for a S&W Model 48 x 6", and as luck would have it one of the local toy stores that Buckshot and I habitually infest has one on display--one of the current Classic Series examples.

The thing just doesn't look "right". The stock set looks wrong. The rear sight looks disproportional. The finish is "acceptable", but my much-fired Model 16-4 (1989-made) is far more lustrous, even after 30 years and lots of carry. I have tried to talk myself into it, and cannot brook its appearance. And with all of the horror stories about S&W revolvers--like this one, for example--I am not willing to roll the bones on a new S&W wheelgun. Not when I know Ruger can and will make it right if they slip up the first time.

That is a good idea. I had guys telling me the same things before I bought mine, but I talked myself into it. Acceptable isn't good enough for a gun that costs this much, even if you don't get a lemon like I did. Unfortunately there are not many manufactures of full size double action revolvers. S&W and Ruger are about it, unless you go to Taurus. I always wished Magnum Research would come out with a double action, but knowing them, it would be some unruly 5 pound monster chambered in 45-70.

Another boneheaded move, which is 100% my fault, I had ordered a set of Herrett grips before I really tried the gun. I had shot it off hand plenty, and did not see a problem, only that the grips it came with were no good. Do as I say, not as I do.

I'm still not sure what will happen. Ideally S&W will eventually contact me, replace my barrel at no cost, and I'll have an accurate handgun and quit my belly aching.

My 57 classic is fine. Shoots jacketed bullets the best but decent with Lyman 410459. One inch 25 yard groups with some jacketed ammo and less than two with cast. No significant leading but shoot 300 or 400 jacketed before going to cast. Bluing and fit is great. Grips not the best. You must have a lemon. Screw hole on top strap near forcing cone directs blast on the cylinder on all newer smiths(last 20 years or so). I have many smiths from the 60s,70s and 80s and I find as many problems with those as the new ones. Especially 70s and 80s. I have been working with a 1983 smith 686 now purchased as new in the box. Large barrel cylinder gap and several small finish imperfections and slow timing. They have never been perfect. Just purchased a new 929 9mm. It is put together great.

No doubt I got a lemon. So they have known about the cylinder blasting for 20 years and never fixed it?

Sub-par grips (mine were even loose), so-so finish that self destructs on they cylinder, only as good as Ruger trigger, and tie it all together on an "classic" with an internal lock. Finish with a price tag hundreds of dollars more than the competition. Sounds great.

My 629-6 has the dreaded Hillary hole, and honestly it's as close as you can get to perfection in a handgun. Accurate, beautiful, and the kind of trigger you have dreams about.

I think he just got a bad gun.

Good for you. I really wish that Smith had not bowed down to the anti-gunners so completely with the Hillary hole, but rather had just done like Ruger often does, and just issued a great big padlock with the gun that you can throw away.

Today I called S&W and just stayed on hold. I put the phone on speaker and started loading ammo. Eventually somebody actually answered. I don't know the exact time, but it was about 1 1/2 hours on hold. After a short conversation I got a shipping label, and I'll be sending the gun out tomorrow. They must just be swamped with defective firearms.

Today I called S&W and just stayed on hold. I put the phone on speaker and started loading ammo. Eventually somebody actually answered. I don't know the exact time, but it was about 1 1/2 hours on hold. After a short conversation I got a shipping label, and I'll be sending the gun out tomorrow. They must just be swamped with defective firearms.

Persistence FINALLY paid off, it seems. A customer really shouldn't have to resort to such lengths to obtain decent service, but you did what was necessary to achieve your goal. Good on ya. I hope the resolution to the issues is done to your satisfaction.

I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

Persistence FINALLY paid off, it seems. A customer really shouldn't have to resort to such lengths to obtain decent service, but you did what was necessary to achieve your goal. Good on ya. I hope the resolution to the issues is done to your satisfaction.

While it's not good, I hope it was because of the holiday week.

It's not even close to my worst customer service wait. You southerners probably don't know much about ice fishing, but I had bought an Eskimo brand flip over shack for ice fishing, and the thing pretty much fell apart the first time I went to use it. I was on hold for at least an hour a day for a week straight (plus no email reply). I had actually prepared to drive to the factory in Wisconsin, when somebody gave me a number to somebody that worked there. They hand delivered the phone to customer service manager, and it was still a fight to get the thing replaced. The only reason I went with Eskimo in the first place was because of its good reputation with customer service.

It's no lie that I am a big Ruger fan, and this strengthens that even more, but it seems quality of quite a few brands is down this year. I was shooting recently with somebody that bought a brand new Glock 34. It could need a little more breaking in, but out of 10 or so kinds of ammo, none was very good. The Glock would put 3 almost touching at 25 yards, then the next one would go off 6" or more. He also had a 3" barrel Sig that was really impressive, put the Glock to shame, and wasn't far behind many of my good revolvers. I don't remember the SIG model, but he said something about it being a new model that had been recalled for the first runs. I've seen multiple examples recently of S&W's with problems. I had bought a new Mossberg 500 turkey model I think in january, and the rear sight wiggled terribly as to be useless.

And I thought I was the only one that ended up with problem guns. Misery likes a friend I have several I have sent back but I will say Smith made them right but the pain in *** to have to send them in is no fun. I hear problems with most brands but remember people with a problem are the ones that speak up. Hopefully most do not have problems and we do not hear about them. Once you get your 57 sorted out, you will like it and with modern metallurgy, I doubt you can shoot it enough to wear it out. I am shooting mine with everything from max to light. I will not baby the new ones. Got an 8 pound jug of 2400 to work through !

I was talking to the guy with a problem Glock 34, and it sounds like they are kind of gave him the run around. It seems he has to take it to a Glock armorer, just so he too can see it's bad. Once on the phone S&W gave me a shipping label no fuss. I do hate that all the brands only ship with Fedex, at least every brand I've ever had to return. I have to drive a minimum of 40 minutes to the nearest drop off, and I have no other reason to go to that city. Does anyone know if I can schedule a pickup with Fedex like I can UPS? Label says 2 day shipping.